Best VPN for UK – Unrestricted Access 2017

Sadly, with the development of the Internet and revolution of content where users get to create and implement amazing ideas that can be seen from all over the world, the grip of surveillance is getting stronger by the minute.

We all know that the US is hell-bent at monitoring their citizens regardless of how innocent their online activities are. They take advantage of the ambiguity of some of the most important laws concerning privacy and turned their own agencies against unsuspecting citizens. If you don’t find this to be true, you should take a look at Edward Snowden’s declarations and the witch hunt that followed them.

However, if you believe that the USA is the only country with limitations when it comes to content and massive data retention, you are wrong. Sadly, the UK is actually the most determined state to make sure that online privacy and free access to content is completely destroyed. Once the cradle of democracy and civil rights for the entire European area, the UK online world and freedom is now chocked by the GCHQ – the British NSA. This agency has the purpose to maintain secure lines of communication and make sure the country isn’t in any danger. However, according to Snowden’s declarations, one of the agency’s main activities was to gather all online and phone data.

Still, government surveillance is not the only problem UK citizens facing. ISPs are also allowed to block access to certain sites to prevent copyright piracy and porn access. However, in the process of doing so, British ISPs got to block more sites than anywhere in the Western civilized world. You can actually compare the UK with South Korea, to make an idea of how limited the citizens’ access is.

If you love British cinema and TV, your only chance to gain access to this amazing content library is to get the best UK VPN service and access it as if you were in the UK. For this, you can use any of the VPN provider we mentioned as they all have servers in the UK. Also, they all support high speeds so you won’t have issues with content streaming.

Best VPN for UK to Protect Digital Privacy

To give you a bit of help in selecting the best UK VPN, we found the best 5 on the market. Below you can read a bit about each.

# 1 – ExpressVPN

One of the things you should be on the lookout for when selecting the best VPN for UK is the company’s location. For instance, ExpressVPN is located in the British Virgin Islands which, even though it sounds British, is not. Because of their location, ExpressVPN managed to become one of the most powerful VPN services on the market. They have a wide server network and offer important features like high speed and security.

They are also completely transparent with their policies and let users know the exact type of data that they store. They are true to their no logs policy and you will have access to both dedicated servers and shared IP servers to increase your online anonymity level.

Also, your data is safe behind a 256-bit AES security key used to encrypt everything that goes through the data tunnel (between your computer and the VPN). This type of encryption is usually found in governmental agencies, around data marked confidential. However, if you’re not that set on security, you can always choose from the other security protocols they offer: PPTP and L2TP/IPSec.

ExpressVPN is our first recommended choice for the best UK VPN because of its quality service and premium features with competitive price in the market.

# 2 – NordVPN

NordVPN is the VPN you want by your side when trying to evade governmental surveillance. They are mainly focused on providing their users with the online freedom and data security they deserve and manage to do this by maintaining a very well-equipped network.

First, you should know that their headquarters is in Panama which keeps them away from the rules specified by the UK government. Also, this UK VPN service implements Tor over VPN which adds another layer to your anonymity, and you can opt for double encryption if you want your data to be extra secured. These are the main features why we believe NordVPN is a great candidate of Best UK VPN title.

# 3 – PureVPN

Just like the previous two VPNs we mentioned, PureVPN is true to their no logs policy. Their policy is transparent and they will let you know the type of data they store. The security is strong and all your data will be encrypted with a 256-bit key for extra safety. The best part with PureVPN is the fact that they don’t use any third-party companies – everything is processed internally.

Other features like kill switch, NAT firewall, and DDoS protection recommend this service as a great VPN for UK.

# 4 – PIA VPN

Besides the features we mentioned above, Private Internet Access (PIA) takes anonymity one step higher. They offer both gift certificates and Bitcoin payments so no one can make the connection between your financial data and your real life person.

# 5 – IPVanish

As one of the greatest UK VPN service IPVanish comes forward with a zero logs policy, wide network and high-speed servers. We like the solution for their great apps, prompt response to users’ inquiries and great prices.

UK VPN Considerations

To sum up, below we put together the biggest digital privacy legal issues UK citizens are facing right now.

Investigatory Powers Bill

An extreme Mass Surveillance bill came into effect on November 29, 2016, the Investigatory Powers Act approved by the Parliament of United Kingdom. The Act, also known as the Snoopers’ Charter, legalizes the Mass Surveillance in the interest of National Security.

The Snoopers Charter binds all the internet service providers (ISPs) and telecommunication firms in the UK to keep the records of your internet connection for the period of 12 months. These logs will include every website you visit and the online activity you do, the unique identifiable device that you use to access the internet i.e. computer or mobile, IP address, and the timestamps when you visit the websites and other online platforms.

The Investigatory Powers Act allows limitless access of your internet actions to law enforcement and other government agencies, department including the Department of Transport, Health and the Gambling Commission without any permission.

The fear of copyright infringement when it comes to content creation (media or otherwise).

Evade governmental surveillance

While using a VPN service, your data will be encrypted and your IP address will be hidden. You will also be sharing the same IP address with hundreds of other users so it will be extremely difficult to track the real you down.

Evade ISPs bans

As we already mentioned, British ISPs are very set on blocking every site that may lead to copyright piracy or inappropriate access to porn. While this is an admirable concept, many regular sites get banned in the process. So, a VPN for UK will allow you to change your IP address and access the Internet as if you were living in another country. This way you avoid the ISP blockages and you have access to the free Internet.

Avoid hackers’ attacks

Even though the authorities seem to have everything covered, hackers are vigilant and always in the right spot. If you use the Best UK VPN solution, your data (personal and financial) will be secure and away from any threats.

Access P2P networks

You can only imagine that while in the UK you won’t have access to torrents, P2P file sharing networks. These are the first ones to go when it comes to copyrights. With a good UK VPN service however, you will have unrestricted access to your favorite sharing networks.

Access your favorite content

The British produce amazing TV shows and movies and it would be horrible to be separated from your favorite content. So, if you are traveling but you still want to have access to your favorite show or channel (BBC iPlayer or Channel4 All 4) then you need the best VPN for UK.

Best UK VPN Apps with All Devices

One of the issues you will find with VPN services is with their clients (apps that will be installed on your devices). Many support only a few platforms, but all the services included on our list of best VPN for UK come with a wide variety of apps. So, regardless of the service you choose, out of 5 we mentioned, you will have access to lots of devices starting with phones and tablets and ending with routers and TV boxes.

In the end, we can only express sadness for the decline the civilized world is taking when it comes to the Internet and access to online content. However, having the best UK VPN service for your needs will definitely allow you more freedom and access to many online resources that will broaden your view of the world.

Kristen Michelle is a Security Evangelist and Managing Editor at VPNLogics. She spends most of her time in writing and researching about online security and privacy and helps others to raise awareness.